Sentencing of Ronald Singson on drug raps in HK deferred

HONG KONG – A district court here adjourned yesterday the hearing of drug trafficking charges against Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson for the second time.

The Wan Chai District Court has granted Singson’s request for the postponement of the committal proceedings.

John Reading, Singson’s counsel, asked the court for more time to complete the report on his client’s medical condition, which he did not elaborate.

Having no objection from the prosecution, the court adjourned the hearing to Nov. 23.

Outside the court, Singson also refused to divulge his medical condition, but replied that he wanted “this case to be over,” when asked for his birthday wish on Nov. 18.

The youthful congressman also failed to enter a plea before the district court last Sept. 7 and asked for a six-week adjournment of his case, citing health reasons.

Singson was apprehended last July 11 at the customs arrival hall of the Hong Kong International Airport for allegedly bringing in 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of diazepam, a generic form of Valium.

However, after removing the drugs from the bottle, which reportedly weighed 12 grams, and subjecting the narcotics to purity testing, the volume of the drug was reduced to 6.6 grams.

The Tsuen Wan Court allowed Singson to post a HK$2-million (P11.2 million) bail last Aug. 19 on condition that he would stay in Hong Kong for court appearances.

Singson posted HK$1-million bail, while two of his friends here each shelled out HK$500,000 in surety bond which will be forfeited if the lawmaker violates the conditions of his bail.

Magistrate Ernest Lin also ordered the congressman to surrender his travel documents and report to the North Point Police Station between 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Singson earlier said his temporary reprieve was not really a victory since his lawyers had advised against applying for bail to apply his continued detention as a mitigating factor for a possible jail sentence.

Ody Lai, the only Filipino barrister in Hong Kong, said if the drug trafficking charge will push through and he pleads guilty to the offense, the jail sentence of three years and nine months will be given the standard one-third discount, as provided by law.    

Lai added that good behavior would mean an additional discount of nine months from the jail term. And since Singson has already been imprisoned for 40 days, his jail term would approximately reach only a year and a half.